31 October 2011
Last updated at 23:59 ET
Unions have been battling to safeguard jobs and wages for months
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has hit out at national airline Qantas, in her strongest criticism yet of the firm’s decision to shut down its operations at the weekend.
Ms Gillard said Qantas bosses had taken “extreme and irresponsible” action.
In a surprise move on Saturday, the airline locked out its staff and stopped all flights in an attempt to end months of strike action by workers.
The firm said most of its flight schedules had now returned to normal.
The country’s industrial regulator, Fair Work Australia, stepped in to end the dispute, ordering both sides back to work on Monday after emergency talks.
Ms Gillard has said
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